MINNEAPOLIS (August 1, 2005) – According to several fruit associations, wild blueberries have seen a remarkable surge in popularity recently and Orange Julius is doing its part to keep that trend going with the introduction of its new Premium Fruit Smoothie, Blueberry Burst.  The smoothie, made with real fruit, is a wildly delicious blend of wild blueberries and non-fat frozen yogurt.

Blueberry Burst is the second wild blueberry smoothie for Orange Julius following the “Wild Blue Twist” smoothie introduction last year.  The new “Blueberry Burst” Premium Fruit Smoothie has a lighter, sweeter flavor profile than its blueberry sibling which features a twist of lemon to give it a tangier citrus flavor.
“Blueberry Burst is a perfect complement to our smoothie offerings,” said Lisa Willems Connelly, director of brand management and marketing for Orange Julius.  “Aside from its rich, creamy blueberry taste, it is a low fat smoothie and it’s made with real wild blueberries which have a robust blueberry flavor.”

A study by scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging ranked blueberries No. 1 in antioxidant activity compared with 40 other commercially available fruits and vegetables.  This means that a serving of blueberries may have more of the antioxidant power needed to fight aging, cancer, and heart disease.

At all Orange Julius stores during the weekend of July 30 and 31, complimentary samples of the new Blueberry Burst smoothie will be available.

All of Orange Julius’ Premium Fruit Smoothies are freshly blended and made of a combination of real fruit, fresh-squeezed orange juice, tropical fruit juice, non-fat frozen yogurt and sherbet.  The 18 varieties of Premium Fruit Smoothies can also be enhanced with an optional Nutrifier boost made from the highest quality vitamins, minerals and full potency herbal formula for maximum mind and body benefits.

“Blueberry Burst” Nutritional Information
A 20-ounce serving of the new Blueberry Burst smoothie contains only a half-gram of fat, no cholesterol and is a source of calcium, iron as well as vitamins A and C.  For complete nutritional information, please visit www.orangejulius.com.

About Orange Julius
First established in 1926 as an orange juice stand in Los Angeles, Orange Julius® today has more than 200 Orange Julius stores and more than 225 combination Dairy Queen/Orange Julius locations in the U.S., plus additional locations in Canada and International markets.  The Orange Julius of America franchise is a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Dairy Queen (IDQ).  IDQ is one of the world’s largest distributors of frozen treats, hot food items and other drinks and treats with a system of more than 5,700 Dairy Queen stores in the United States, Canada and other foreign countries.  For more information about Orange Julius, please visit www.orangejulius.com or www.idq.com.

Editor’s Note:  Full color images of Blueberry Burst, as well as of other Julius ® Premium Fruit Smoothies, are available upon request.

Contacts
Todd Andrews
Karwoski & Courage Public Relations
Phone:+1 (612) 342-9661
t.andrews@creativepr.com